What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Mandelic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Panthenol, Triethylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pachyrhizus Erosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Chloride
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningWater, Lactic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Pachyrhizus Erosus Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gluconolactone, Allantoin, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Pyridoxine Hcl, Yeast Extract, Cyanocobalamin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
